


A Journey of Friendship

by TheRev28



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS (Video Game), Love Live! Sunshine!!, ラブライブ! 虹ヶ咲学園スクールアイドル同好会 | Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai (Anime)
Genre: Developing Friendships, F/F, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:13:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29845479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRev28/pseuds/TheRev28
Summary: This is the journey of friendship between Setsuna Yuki and Yō Watanabe. What starts as a simple day out to cover a mutual friend's mistake can eventually lead to something deeper, if given time.
Relationships: Sakurauchi Riko/Takami Chika (background), Takasaki Yuu/Uehara Ayumu (referenced), Watanabe You/Yuuki Setsuna
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. A Day in Odaiba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Yuu has to bail on plans with Yō at the last minute, she asks Setsuna to step in for her. Setsuna happily agrees because it'll be the first chance she's gotten to spend time with Yō one-on-one. It's a wonderful opportunity to make a new friend!

Sunday morning dawned bright, the sun shining through Setsuna’s bedroom window. It was a pleasant way to wake up, and Setsuna always took a sort of languid joy in it. Ever since performing _MELODY_ for her parents—and them becoming more accepting of her hobbies—Sundays had become her day to indulge herself. She liked to catch up on the anime she hadn’t had time for during the week, and at least once a month, she’d go out looking for new manga and light novels.

Overall, it was a good system, and Setsuna looked forward to another day of it. She had no intention of going out this week, so she was all set for a nice, comfortable day in. Maybe she wouldn’t even change out of her pajamas…. No, that’d be _too_ self-indulgent. Or would it? She couldn’t deny that it sounded nice.

As she continued to debate with herself the finer points of how much indulgence was too much, her phone rang. The sudden noise took her by surprise, and she was very glad no one was around to see how much she jumped or hear the noise she made. Or at least she hoped her parents hadn’t heard it….

By the third ring, she had regained her composure enough to actually check to see who was calling her. It was Yuu. Strange. Furrowing her brow, she answered the call.

“Hi Yuu-san! This is a surprise; it’s not often you call on a Sunday morning.”

“Hi Setsuna-chan! Yeah, I know you normally take Sundays for yourself, so I normally don’t wanna bother you. Though that makes what I’m about to ask even harder….” She trailed off, and after a few seconds of silence, it was clear that she was having trouble continuing.

“What do you need, Yuu-san?” Setsuna asked, taking the initiative. “You know I’m always happy to help a friend!”

“I… I messed up! Last week, Yō-chan and I planned for her to come up and hang out with me in Odaiba today. But Ayumu woke up this morning with a fever, and I can’t just go off and have fun while she’s sick!”

“Oh no! Is Ayumu-san going to be alright? It’s not serious, is it?”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine; I’ll make sure of that! But now Yō-chan is already on the train over, and I don’t wanna tell her to just turn around and go home! Can you meet up with her and show her a good time? I’m sure you two will have a blast!”

Setsuna? Hanging out with Yō? It wouldn’t be the first time they’d spent time together, but every other time previously had been in a larger group. This would be the first instance where they hung out just the two of them. The thought caused an initial spike of anxiety: Yō was so cool and charming and charismatic and fun that the thought of being alone with her felt a little intimidating. After a moment, though, the anxiety faded. It was for those exact same reasons that Yō would be amazing to hang out with!

“Of course I will!” she said, remembering she was still on the phone. “You focus on nursing your girlfriend back to health, and I’ll make sure Yō-san has a great time in Odaiba!”

She heard a relieved sigh on the other side of the line. “Thank you so much, Setsuna-chan. You’re a lifesaver.” Setsuna could practically hear the smile in her friend’s voice, and it made her smile in kind.

It only took a few more minutes for Yuu to give Setsuna the details on when and where Yō was arriving. Thankfully, Setsuna still had an hour and a half, meaning plenty of time for a shower and to mentally psych herself up. She’d woken up with the intention and expectation of holing up in her room, but now she had to switch to hanging out mode. It wasn’t _hard_ to do, but it was still necessary.

The shower did wonders to make her feel ready, as did putting on some real clothes. It was a nice day out, so she opted for one of her go-to outfits: a pair of beige shorts and black tights, a plain blue shirt, and her trusty red hoodie. Alright, she felt ready!

Setsuna arrived at the station a good fifteen minutes before Yō’s train was set to arrive; it wouldn’t do for her to be late. To pass the time, she looked up things in the area that they could do together. There were a few possibilities, but nothing stood out as any better than the rest. Maybe it’d be best to wait until Yō arrived to see if she’d had anything planned with Yuu. Now that Setsuna thought about it, she should have asked Yuu that on the phone. Oh well. 

The train that Yō should be on finally arrived, and as its passengers streamed out, Setsuna tried to find the other girl in the crowd. Finally she spotted Yō off to one side, glancing around, obviously looking for someone. 

“Yō-san! Over here!” Setsuna called out, waving one hand in the air.

Yō immediately turned and found Setsuna, her expression full of curiosity. Still, she made her way through the throngs of people to meet up.

“Hi Setsuna-chan. I didn’t expect to see you here.” She paused and looked around. “Is Yuu-chan in the restroom or something?”

Setsuna cocked her head. “Huh? Yuu-san couldn’t make it—that’s the whole reason I’m here in the first place.”

Yō cocked her head in the opposite direction. “She couldn’t make it? What happened? Is everything okay?”

What? Yō didn’t know? Which meant Yuu must have forgotten to tell her. Setsuna closed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head a little. 

“Yes, everything is fine; Ayumu-san simply woke up with a fever this morning, and Yuu-san didn’t want to leave her while she was feeling ill. She asked me to come hang out with you in her stead.” She paused, then couldn’t help but ask, “Did she really not tell you?”

“Not a word,” Yō said, shaking her head. “But that’s no problem! I’m sure we can have just as much fun together!”

“Yeah, I’m sure we’ll have a blast!” Setsuna said, instantly matching Yō’s excitement level. “So had you and Yuu-san planned on anything specific to do today?”

“Not really, though there was something I did wanna do. The last time I was here, she and I went to this outdoor mall but didn’t actually get a chance to check it out.” She let out an embarrassed chuckle and rubbed the back of her neck. “I kinda started singing in the courtyard and gathered a crowd. Some people recognized me, so we decided to bail.”

Setsuna clenched her hands in front of her chest in excitement. “Oh I’m so jealous of Yuu-san now! She got to see an impromptu solo performance by a member of Aqours? She’s so lucky sometimes.”

That earned a genuine laugh from Yō. “I’m jealous that she gets to see all of you Niji girls practicing and performing basically whenever she wants! But anyway, would it be alright if we checked out that mall? It looked really cool, and I was disappointed we didn’t get to check it out last time.”

“I don’t mind at all! Let’s get going!”

Thankfully, the mall wasn’t terribly far from the station. They made some idle idol chatter along the way, but it didn’t really take them long to walk there. Once they arrived, they got down to some serious window shopping. 

This mall had one of Setsuna’s go-to manga stores, so she was very well acquainted with the stores in that immediate area. As such, she led Yō that way right off the bat. When they reached the manga store front, she stopped and let Yō look around to decide where to start. After a moment, Yō gasped, and Setsuna followed her line of sight to the costume store across the way.

“Do you want to start there, Yō-san?” The other girl turned her gaze to look at Setsuna, and her eyes were shining.

“Oh can we? Costume shops in Tokyo always have such huge selections compared to Numazu.”

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and Setsuna couldn’t help but smile. She’d known Yō was Aqours’ costume designer, but she hadn’t known her passion ran so deep.

“Of course! Let’s go!”

That was all Yō needed to hear. Her whole expression lit up, and she grabbed Setsuna’s hand, pulling her along into the store. Setsuna tried her best to keep up as Yō bolted around the shop, going from costume to costume, “ooh”ing and “ahh”ing at each one. Occasionally she’d take one with her as they continued on, and after a few minutes, she had amassed a sizable collection of costumes.

“Are those the ones you want to try on?” Setsuna asked at one point, motioning to the pile of clothes in Yō’s arms.

“Some of them, yeah! The others are ones I want to see you try on!”

Setsuna’s eyes widened. “M-Me? How come?” 

“After seeing some of your shows, it’s obvious you look great in what I’d call ‘traditional’ idol outfits. I wanted to see how you’d look in some other, less typical ones! I-If that’s okay with you, of course! I’m not gonna force you to wear anything you don’t want.”

Setsuna took a moment to think about it. She was flattered by Yō’s praise (and hoped that she wasn’t blushing too much because of it), and she’d be lying if she said she weren’t at least a little curious. Normally, the costume club drew up some ideas for her outfits, and she’d just pick one. The girls in the club, though, knew about her preferences and tended to design around them. Yō, on the other hand, wanted to explicitly go outside those bounds. It was kind of exciting.

“Alright! Count me in, Yō-san!”

Yō did a little fist pump and immediately handed Setsuna something to try. She couldn’t quite tell what it was, but that didn’t really matter; she’d agreed to try it on anyway. Once inside the changing room, she realized it was a dark red, floral print yukata with a black obi. Setsuna didn’t really have much experience wearing a yukata, only really doing so on New Year’s with her parents. Then again, she supposed that was part of the point—to try something new. So she put it on and came back out.

She found Yō in front of a mirror wearing a classic white sailor’s uniform. On hearing the changing room door open, she turned around, and her eyes immediately lit up.

“Oh Setsuna-chan, you look amazing!” Yō bolted over to examine the outfit from close up. “Red is obviously your color, but wow, the black obi really compliments your pretty silver eyes. I’d never seen you in something traditional and elegant like this before, but it really suits you! Oh man, now I wanna see what you’d look like in a _My Mai Tonight_ costume. I bet the blend of modern and traditional would look _incredible_ on you! And with your penchant for asymmetric outfits, it’s practically a no-brainer. I wonder how easily I could make another one….” 

Meanwhile, Setsuna had started blushing about two sentences in, and it got deeper and deeper as Yō continued until she was sure her face matched the color of the yukata. 

Yō finally seemed to notice Setsuna’s expression and immediately backpedaled a bit. She waved her hands in front of her while sporting a minor blush of her own.

“I’m sorry, Setsuna-chan! I got carried away. That happens when I talk about costumes.” An embarrassed chuckle followed up her words. 

“That’s quite alright, Yō-san,” Setsuna said, regaining her composure a little. “I love listening to people talk about their passions, and your passion for outfits is plain to see! I’ll admit, I was a little surprised to hear how much thought you’d put into this choice in such a short time. It’s quite impressive.”

Yō looked away with a bashful smile, rubbing the back of her neck. “Heh, it’s just fun thinking about what outfits people would look good in.”

“Well, speaking of looking good, that sailor uniform suits you quite well.” Now that Yō had backed off a little, Setsuna finally had a chance to admire the other girl’s outfit. It was classic Yō, so it was little wonder that it looked good on her. 

“It’s not bad!” Yō said, doing a silly little pose to show off a bit. “The sailor uniforms are always the first thing I try in a new shop. It’s a good measure of the overall quality of the store. This one’s pretty nice, so it gets a passing grade.”

Setsuna couldn’t hold back a laugh at Yō’s tone of voice. She sounded like a professor grading papers. Then again, she _was_ the costume expert, so her judgements did carry some weight. After a moment, Yō joined in with laughter of her own, and Setsuna decided it was a really nice laugh.

After they regained their composure, Yō handed Setsuna a different outfit to try. The yukata had gone over so well that Setsuna accepted the new outfit without hesitation. She trusted Yō’s judgement now. 

Back in the changing room, she removed the yukata and took a moment to finally inspect the new outfit. It was a red cheongsam with incredibly intricate golden floral patterns. It honestly looked stunning. Setsuna had never worn one, herself, but she’d seen Ayumu wear a… heavily modified one as a show outfit before. This one looked to be a much more traditional version—a high neckline, completely covered front, hemline that went all the way to the ankle, and the classic skirt slit. She was excited to try it on.

It was a decidedly… difficult task. The cheongsam was much tighter than the yukata, and that was _very_ apparent once she finally got it on. While the yukata somewhat hid the body shape underneath due to the flowing fabric, the cheongsam hugged Setsuna’s figure to a degree that made her blush. Still, she… didn’t dislike how it looked. There was something mature and elegant about it. So she tried her best to stamp down any lingering embarrassment and leave the changing room. 

Once again, she came out to find Yō in front of the mirror, only this time she sported what appeared to be a train conductor’s uniform. And just like last time, as soon as she turned and saw Setsuna, her eyes lit up, and she bolted over.

“Oh gosh, that’s really not fair how pretty you look, Setsuna-chan! After how well the yukata worked, I wanted to see how you’d look in something similarly traditional, but a little more daring. And wow, the cheongsam suits you. You’ve got such a great figure, and the dress shows it off so well while keeping things tasteful.” That comment once again earned a furious blush from Setsuna, but Yō continued. “Obviously it’d be hard to perform in one like this since the hemline is so low, but man, now I wanna try designing one.”

“Ayumu-san once wore a cheongsam-inspired outfit for one of her performances.”

Yō gasped. “She did? Oh you’ll have to send me pictures sometime! I bet Ayumu-chan looked great.”

“I, um… don’t actually have your contact info, Yō-san…,” Setsuna muttered, feeling embarrassed about that for some reason.

“Then let’s fix that!” Yō said immediately, pulling out her phone. Setsuna fished out her own device, and they quickly exchanged info. As Setsuna put hers away, Yō didn’t. “Hey, why don’t we take a selfie together in these costumes? Then we’ll have matching contact pics!”

Setsuna’s eyes lit up at the thought of having matching contact pictures with someone. Despite all the friends she’d made in the School Idol Club, her photos for them were all candid shots she’d snapped of them. She couldn’t pass this opportunity up.

“That sounds wonderful! Let’s do it.”

Yō smiled brightly and got next to Setsuna so their shoulders touched. She held her phone out in one hand and did her classic salute with the other. Setsuna simply clutched one fist in front of her chest and made a peace sign with the other. After Yō snapped the picture, she quickly sent it to Setsuna.

It was absolutely adorable, and Setsuna couldn’t suppress the little squee of excitement upon seeing it. Yō was winking at the camera and had her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth, and it was such a cute and playful expression. Setsuna immediately set it as Yō’s contact pic. 

“This turned out wonderfully, Yō-san!” Setsuna said, unable to contain her excitement. “I love the expression you’re making. It feels very ‘you.’”

“I was about to say the same thing about yours! You have such an amazing smile; it’s no wonder you have so many adoring fans!” Setsuna beamed at the compliment before Yō continued. “I’ve got one more costume I’d like you to try, if that’s okay?”

“Of course!” Setsuna took the proffered outfit without hesitation and proceeded into the changing room. She took the cheongsam off then actually looked at the new outfit for the first time. Her brow furrowed and she blinked a few times in confusion.

“Um… Yō-san?” she called out through the closed changing room door.

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure this can be made into a live show outfit?”

“Eh, probably not, but I thought you’d look cute in it!”

“It” just so happened to be a maid outfit. With quite a short skirt. And cat ears. Setsuna’s whole face turned red at the simple thought of wearing something like this. There was no way she could actually put it on! It was simply too much. So instead, she just put her normal clothes back on and left the changing room.

Yō was, somehow, already in front of a mirror, admiring the scientist outfit she currently wore. Setsuna had to admit, the long, white lab coat looked good on her, as did the glasses. Hearing Setsuna behind her, she turned.

“Aww, not feeling the maid costume?”

Again, Setsuna blushed just at the thought of it. “N-No, I don’t think that sort of outfit really suits me.”

“That’s fine! The most important part about wearing any outfit is feeling comfortable in it!”

“You’ve certainly looked comfortable in everything you’ve put on so far. If you don’t mind me asking, how do you do it?”

Yō cocked her head and tapped a finger to her chin, giving the question some thought. After a moment, though, she just shrugged.

“I don’t really know,” she said. “I guess I just enjoy feeling like I can become someone else by putting the right clothes on. Sometimes it’s fun to pretend, y’know?”

In a way, Setsuna could. Heck, that was one of the reasons she liked wearing her idol outfit whenever she wasn’t actively in “Nana mode.” _Looking_ like an idol made her _feel_ like an idol, made her _feel_ like Setsuna Yuki. Yō sounded a bit more casual in how she meant it, but the point still stood.

“Yeah, I think I do know,” Setsuna finally said. “That’s a really nice way to look at things, Yō-san!”

The two spent another hour in the store, but the rest of Yō’s picks for Setsuna stayed relatively tame after the cat maid one. There was a nurse’s uniform, a firefighter, a film noir private investigator, and so many more. It was honestly a lot of fun! And by the end of it, Setsuna thought she had a better understanding of just _why_ Yō loved costumes so much.

Eventually, though, they left; there was still the rest of the mall to see! Immediately upon exiting the shop, Setsuna glanced across the way at the manga store before quickly looking away. Almost instantly, though, she did a double take and stared at the advertisement by the door. One of her favorite light novel series surprise-dropped the newest volume! There had been zero hints about this online, and it took a moment for her to actually process it.

Once she did, though, she rushed over to the entrance. It was only after she stopped that she realized she’d dragged Yō along with her. Then she heard a gasp from behind her.

“Wait, is that a new volume of the villainess light novel?”

Setsuna whipped around, jaw dropped, to see Yō staring at the advert with pure excitement. Her eyes were alight with the same fire that had been there when looking at costumes.

“You read ‘All Routes Lead to Doom’?” 

“Yeah!! Riko-chan got me to watch the anime after showing me the character designs—the outfits are so wonderful, and she just knew that’d suck me in. But then the characters and story were so good that I got hooked! I had to know what happened after the anime, so I read the light novels!”

Setsuna grabbed Yō’s hands in excitement, unable to contain herself anymore. “You’re the first person I’ve met who also reads the books! Oh isn’t Katarina such a compelling protagonist? The way she avoids the doom triggers by being such a good person and friend, it’s no wonder everyone falls for her. She’s just too dense to notice, though, but that adds such a spot-on sense of comedy. And all the love interests are so wonderful! It’s so refreshing to see a mixed harem like that; it’s not often you see that portrayed so seriously. Who’s your favorite? I think mine is either Alan or Maria. I love the rivalry aspect from Alan and how he’s a bit of a tsundere, but there’s just something so wholesome and pure about her relationship with Maria.”

“Oh, oh, mine has to be Mary! The childhood friend that Katarina helped coax out of her shell? It’s so sweet and cute, and I love how competitive she gets towards the others when they’re grown up. It adds nice comedy while also being super relatable.” Yō paused and looked at the storefront before turning back to Setsuna. “So we’re going in and buying the new volume, right?”

“Absolutely! Let’s not waste another moment!”

Still hand-in-hand, the two rushed into the manga store. Thankfully, because it was a new release, there was a whole stand of volumes right near the entrance. They each grabbed a copy, paid, and were back out in a flash. Normally Setsuna would spend more time wandering through the aisles and browsing, but she didn’t want to take up too much of Yō’s remaining time. They’d spent a while in the costume store, and there was still an entire mall to explore!

Man, today was turning out better than expected in Setsuna’s mind. What was going to be a simple day at home had turned into a downright adventure! She was getting to hang out with Yō, and she was having so much fun! Getting a new light novel volume was just icing on the cake, and they weren’t even done hanging out yet!

Over the next few hours, they wandered about the rest of the mall, mostly content to window shop. They talked a lot about their newly-discovered shared passion for the villainess genre, and Setsuna was pleasantly surprised at Yō’s knowledge of it. Even her friends in the Idol Club who liked anime, such as Rina and Yuu, weren’t really big on villainesses (though she was secretly trying to hook Karin on the genre). Being able to talk about it deeply and openly was a breath of fresh air. 

Eventually, though, their time together had to come to an end. Setsuna walked Yō back to the station as they continued to idly chat about whatever came to mind. When they reached the turnstiles into the station proper, they stopped to say their farewells.

“I know I’m not who you originally planned to hang out with today, but I hope you had fun!” Setsuna said, hoping her own enjoyment came through in her voice. 

“I had a ton of fun, Setsuna-chan!” Yō said, giving Setsuna a positively radiant smile. “Next time, you should come down to Numazu so we can hang out some more!”

Setsuna’s eyes widened. “You… want to hang out again? Just the two of us?”

“I mean, yeah! I do if you want to! You’re really fun to hang out with, and you’ve never been to Numazu, right? It may not be as big and exciting as Odaiba, but there’s still plenty of cool places I could take you!”

A warmth spread through Setsuna’s body, just as it always did when people invited her to hang out. She was still getting used to that feeling of having close friends who wanted to include her in things, and now she’d made one more! And it was someone outside of the club! She returned Yō’s smile.

“That sounds wonderful! I’d love to visit Numazu sometime.”

“Great! We can text about it later, okay? Oh! And let me know what you think of the new villainess volume!” She chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. “I’ll probably read it on the ride home.”

“Of course!” Setsuna said, clutching the bag containing said volume a little tighter. “Have a safe trip home, Yō-san.” 

“You too, Setsuna-chan!” Yō stepped closer and wrapped her free arm around Setsuna’s shoulder in a quick hug. Before Setsuna could even think about returning it, though, Yō was already through the turnstiles. She looked back and gave a final salute. “Yousoro!” 

Then she walked further into the station and out of view. Setsuna stayed in that spot for a while, feeling warm and fluffy. Eventually, though, she had to leave—it was almost dinner time, and she was never late for Sunday dinner with her parents. 

For the entire walk home, Setsuna couldn’t stop smiling. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to my newest multichap. This is _pure_ self-indulgence on my part, lol. You and Setsuna are my two best girls, and one day, my brain went "hey, what if you shipped them? wouldn't that be neat?" I've spent the past few months actually figuring out how to do that in a way that even remotely makes sense. Hopefully this first chapter did its job of selling the fact that they have things in common they can bond over. I see both of them as very passionate characters--both in what _they_ love and what their friends love. 
> 
> (Also, it should go without saying, but the story follows SIFAS canon, so You and Setsuna are both second years.)
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoyed chapter 1, and I hope to see you again in chapter 2!


	2. A Day in Numazu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their successful day out together in Odaiba, Yō feels it's only natural to invite Setsuna to Numazu in return. While in the seaside town, the two get to share a special moment together.

Yō sat in her best friend’s room, smiling and laughing, just as she had thousands of times over their years together. A third set of laughter reminded her that it wasn’t  _ exactly _ the same anymore, but after a few months, the new normal was finally starting to feel like the normal normal. The pangs of regret at seeing Chika and Riko practically glued at the hip had mostly stopped once she finally realized that she wasn’t losing an old best friend, just gaining a new one. 

That night, the three of them were simply hanging out, spending time together. Tomorrow was a rare weekend that Aqours didn’t have practice, so they were enjoying the chance to have a real sleepover for once. On the flip side, though, Yō couldn’t stay up  _ too _ late because she had plans the next day with Setsuna!

Ever since Yō and Setsuna had hung out together in Odaiba a few weeks ago, the two had started texting a lot. Setsuna always had the best reactions when Yō would send costume progress pics, and she loved having someone new to talk about anime and manga with. She’d never thought of herself as an otaku of any kind, but Setsuna was clearly trying to convert her. It had been really fun making a brand new friend. That hadn’t really happened since Aqours had formed.

“Are you two sure you don’t wanna come along with me and Setsuna-chan tomorrow?” Yō asked after the previous conversation had died down. “I wanted to take her diving—” 

“You  _ always _ wanna take people diving,” Chika interrupted with a teasing grin. Yō just stuck her tongue out and kept going.

“Take her diving and maybe walk around Numazu,” she finished her train of thought. 

“Thanks again for the offer, Yō-chan, but we’d already made our own plans for tomorrow,” Riko said, looking over at Chika with that lovestruck smile she always had when those two talked about their dates.

“Yeah, sorry, Yō-chan,” Chika said. “Maybe next time, though! You two have gotten really close, so I’m sure she’ll be back down here in no time.”

“Hopefully! I’ll just have to show her such a great time that she wants to come back, right?”

“Ugh, I’m still kinda super jealous you got to hang out with her in Odaiba, just the two of you. Does she act the same one-on-one as when we’re all in a group?”

“She does! Only, like, turned up to eleven. She gets so excited about everything, and she’s just super fun to be around.”

Riko and Chika turned and grinned at each other. “That sounds like a certain someone we know, huh, Chika-chan?”

“It sure does, Riko-chan,” Chika said. Then they both turned their grins towards Yō.

“M-Me?” Yō said, pointing at herself in surprise. 

“Yes you! You’re like, the funnest person to hang out with, so I can only imagine what the two of you are like together.”

“Then you should come diving with us!”

And that brought them back to square one. All in all, Yō had a great time just spending casual time with two of her best friends. Eventually, though, it got to be bedtime, so the three of them broke out the futons and hunkered down for the night.

After the lights were off, she had just closed her eyes when her phone buzzed. It was a message.

_ Setsu-chan: I’m really looking forward to tomorrow, Yō-san! I hope I’m not waking you, but I was simply too excited to sleep yet.  _

A big, dumb smile settled on Yō’s face, and she had to suppress a happy giggle. That was  _ such _ a Setsuna message to send—equal parts excited, concerned, and earnest. 

_ Yousoro: I am too!! And don’t worry, I’d just turned out the lights, so you didn’t wake me up.  _

_ Yousoro: How was your day? _

Despite the fact that they’d see each other in like twelve hours, they chatted for a solid half hour before Setsuna finally succumbed to her tiredness. Yō locked her phone and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of happiness spread through her. Texting Setsuna like that felt like the perfect bridge between this sleepover with Chika and Riko and her plans with Setsuna the next day. It was a good note to end an already good day on.

Yō fell asleep with a smile on her face and slept soundly through the night.

She awoke the next morning bright and early, even earlier than Chika and Riko. That had always been the plan, though; she had to hurry home and get ready for Setsuna’s arrival later, and that meant taking a shower in her own home to freshen up. Besides, the train station was in waaaaay closer to her own home than Chika’s, so it just made sense. Wishing her two best friends a silent goodbye, she left and hopped on the next bus to Numazu. 

By the time she got home, she only had an hour before Setsuna’s train would arrive. The other girl had opted to get one of the earliest trips down to maximize her time, and Yō couldn’t blame her. So Yō sort of rushed through her shower, threw on some shorts, a tank top, and a short-sleeved zip-up, tossed her swimsuit in her bag for later, and headed out. Her hair still hadn’t dried by the time she hurried back out the door, tossing a goodbye to her mother over her shoulder.

As she hurried to the train station, she checked her phone for the time. Seeing she was almost late, Yō picked up the pace, determined to get there before Setsuna could exit the station. Setsuna had been on time to pick up Yō at Odaiba—despite the fact that she hadn’t even woken up that morning intending to do so—so the absolute least Yō could do was return the favor. She arrived with one minute to spare.

While she was still hunched over, hands on her knees, getting her breath back, she noticed a crowd of people exiting the station. The train must have arrived. Not a second later, she heard a familiar voice.

“Yō-san! Good morning!”

She looked up and found Setsuna walking out of the station with one of her trademarked smiles. The other girl wore a skirt with knee high socks and a light button-up blouse. No bag, though, so maybe she was just wearing her swimsuit under her clothes? Eh, didn’t matter.

“Good morning, Setsuna-chan!” she said with a wave. “How was your trip down?”

“It was pleasant, though it felt incredibly slow. I had planned on catching up on some idol news, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how much fun today would be!” She paused and let out an embarrassed chuckle. “So I ended up just sitting there getting excited for the whole ride.”

That was just about the cutest answer she could have given, and Yō had to hold back giggles. She didn’t want to make Setsuna feel bad for getting excited.

“Then I guess I’ll have to make sure today lives up to your expectations!” she said instead, treating Setsuna to a smile of her own.

“Any time spent with you is sure to be wonderful, Yō-san! So did you have anything specific planned for today?”

“The only for-sure plan I had was taking you diving! Beyond that, we can do whatever you want!”

Setsuna furrowed her brow and cocked her head. “Diving? Like in the ocean?”

“Yeah! Kanan’s family owns a diving shop, so we’ve got easy access to equipment. If you’ve never been before, don’t worry; I’ve taken plenty of people on their first dives: Riko-chan, Yoshiko-chan, Dia-san… heck I guess most of Aqours at this point.” Yō laughed when it clicked just how many people that was. The laughter faltered, though, when Setsuna’s expression didn’t change.

“I didn’t know we’d be going in the ocean, so I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

Yō stared off into the middle distance. “Did I forget to tell you to bring one?” That earned a nod from Setsuna. “Crap…. Okay, no, that’s fine! That’s fine, you can just borrow one of mine! We’re close enough to the same size. We’ll have to stop by my place first, but it’s practically on the way. Let’s get going! Full steam ahead! Yousoro!”

She grabbed Setsuna’s hand and started pulling the bemused girl along behind her. 

After about half a block, Setsuna regained her wits and quickened her pace to walk next to Yō instead of being dragged along. She didn’t let go of Yō’s hand, though, so Yō continued to lead her.

“So do you? Actually have multiple swimsuits?” Setsuna asked eventually.

“Of course! I think I have… five? That I regularly cycle through, and that’s not even counting the old ones I don’t wear anymore or the school-issued ones.”

“Wow… that’s… a lot.”

“Is it?” Yō asked, furrowing her brow. Five didn’t seem like that many to her. That was basically one per day, which was practically essential during the summer. “Then how many do you have?”

“Just one.”

That almost stopped Yō in her tracks. Only one swimsuit? How? How could anyone survive with just one? You’d have to do laundry like every day! She basically said as much to Setsuna.

“It’s not like I go swimming every day, Yō-san,” she said, giving Yō a slightly amused look. “Odaiba might be an island, but you can’t actually swim at the beach there. It’s just for sunbathing and other outdoor activities.”

Yō’s jaw dropped. “That’s crazy! I can’t even imagine a beach you can’t swim at. Now that summer is practically here, I plan on being in the water almost every day.”

For whatever reason, Setsuna found that funny and started to laugh. “I suppose it makes sense, then, why you have so many swimsuits. So thank you very much for letting me borrow one.”

“Of course! Always happy to help a friend in need.”

Soon enough, the two reached Yō’s house. Once inside, she introduced her mother to Setsuna and hurried off to grab a swimsuit. She didn’t want to leave those two alone for too long, though—who knew what sort of embarrassing things her mother could say? Yō hadn’t brought a brand new friend over in so long, and she just  _ knew _ her mother was chomping at the bit to tell embarrassing childhood stories to  _ someone _ . Thankfully, it didn’t take her long, so they were back out the door before her mother could do anything embarrassing. 

They hopped on the bus to Uchiura, and Setsuna was very clear about wanting a window seat. The entire ride down into town, she had her face practically plastered against the glass, staring out at the view as they drove along. 

“Gosh, it’s just so pretty, Yō-san,” Setsuna said at one point. 

Yō, who had been idly scrolling through her phone, looked up and saw the same oceanscape she’d seen practically every day of her life. Not to say that she didn’t find it incredibly beautiful, but it was also just… normal to her. That’s just what the view from the bus widow  _ was. _ Still, for someone clearly not used to such a vista, it was easy to understand how Setsuna could be so awestruck. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked at one point after they rounded a bend in the road, giving them a fresh view of Uchiura Bay. The crystal blue water shimmered in the late-spring sunlight.

“It’s breathtaking! I was so focused on planning for the School Idol Festival last time I was here that I never really took the time simply… appreciate the sights.” Setsuna took her eyes off the window to turn and face Yō. Her smile shone almost as bright as the view she had been admiring. “Thank you again for offering me a chance to visit for fun!”

Yō could only smile back as Setsuna turned back to enjoy the view.

They finally reached the stop by the ferry that would take them to Awashima Island and the Matsuura family diving shop. The boat ride was only a few minutes long and not particularly interesting, but just like the bus stop, Setsuna spent the entire time glued to the railing, looking out at the ocean. The absolute joy evident on her face was clearly contagious, because Yō also found herself unable to do anything other than smile at the beauty of the water.

The dive shop was basically empty when they arrived. It was a bit early in the season for most tourists, so it made sense. Despite that, someone had to watch the shop, and Kanan stood dutifully at the counter, looking bored out of her mind. She perked up a little when she saw Yō and Setsuna walk in.

“Hey you two. I didn’t know you’d be in town today, Setsuna-chan.”

“Hello Kanan-san. Yō-san invited me to hang out today while Aqours took a day off, so of course I said yes. Though she casually forgot to mention any plans of going diving,” Setsuna teased.

“I said I was sorry!”

“Really, Yō? You turn down my invites to go diving every week for a month, then you show up with Setsuna-chan out of the blue? And you didn’t even tell her? You wound me.”

Yō wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug grin off Kanan’s face, but she couldn’t do anything too rash with Setsuna around. So she opted to simply stick her tongue out at her childhood friend.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, Kanan-san!” Setsuna said, oblivious to the fact that the older girl was clearly just trying to get a rise out of Yō. “You’re more than welcome to come with us if you’d like!”

Kanan just laughed and waved her concerns off. “It’s fine, Setsuna-chan, I’m just giving Yō a hard time. Besides, it’s my turn to watch the store today, so I’m stuck here.”

“Next time I come down to visit, you should join us!”

Wait, next time? Setsuna already wanted a next time? They hadn’t even really done anything! Knowing that Setsuna already wanted another visit made Yō feel all warm and happy.

“Sounds like a plan,” Kanan said with one of her easy smiles. “For now, though, Yō can show you the ropes since you’re not taking the boat. After me, she’s easily got the most experience, so you’ll be in good hands. Have fun, you two!”

They both gave Kanan a wave as Yō led them back to the changing area. They had to get their swimsuits on, then the wetsuits, then Setsuna would have to tie up her hair,  _ then _ they could get all the other equipment on. So swimsuits first. 

Yō was changed and ready in a flash, the process basically second nature to her at that point. Setsuna took a little longer—likely because it wasn’t her own swimsuit—but she came back out of the changing room quickly enough. Yō had to suppress a squeal of excitement at how good Setsuna looked—that would have just made the poor girl embarrassed. It may have been blue and not her more usual red, but it still looked really good. It also fit surprisingly well. If you didn’t know the swimsuit wasn’t hers, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell.

Next came the wetsuits, and Yō put hers on first to show Setsuna the proper method. Thankfully, she was a smart girl, so it was a fairly smooth process. Getting her hair up took much more time, considering how long hers was. Truthfully, Yō really liked Setsuna’s long hair, but if she kept it in her usual style, it’d be all over the place underwater. Eventually they managed to gather most of it into a big bun at the back of her head.

With that taken care of, Yō grabbed two sets of masks, snorkels, and flippers and led Setsuna outside to the pier. There she began the all important safety instructions. Since they weren’t taking the boat, they’d be in mostly shallow waters, but Yō knew to respect the sea no matter where they chose to swim. Thankfully, Setsuna seemed to pick up on the gravitas of Yō’s words, and she took them seriously.

“Okay! Now that the Serious Business talk is done, I wanna ask: is there anything specific you’re hoping to see down there?” Yō asked.

“Oh wow, I’m not really sure,” Setsuna said, putting a finger to her chin. “I guess just seeing any fish up close without a piece of glass between us will be exciting! Beyond that, I don’t really know what to expect, so I’m just excited in general, I suppose!”

“A good answer! I have a feeling you’re gonna love it down there.”

The pair shared a smile before getting in the water and slipping beneath the surface.

Because of how early in the season it was, the water was a bit on the cold side, but that didn’t matter one bit to Yō. The feeling of her head fully submerging beneath the waves was—and always would be—one of her favorite sensations ever. The muted sounds buffered her from the outside world, letting her lose herself in the moment. The mid-day sunlight sparkled in brilliant hues as it refracted on the water’s surface. There was a contradictory stillness beneath the waves, despite constant small currents pushing her this way and that. Yō had learned to maneuver through them without conscious thought, staying almost perfectly motionless. This was her favorite place in the whole world.

No matter where Yō went or what she did with her life, her soul would always belong to the sea. 

Looking back at her friend, she saw grey eyes alight with wonder and awe. Once again, the sea claimed another soul.

The two made eye contact, and Setsuna motioned to go back to the surface. Strange. They’d just gotten down, but no matter. If Setsuna needed to surface, she needed to surface.

The world rushed back to Yō’s senses as she got above water. Setsuna was next to her, and the other girl had already pushed her snorkel out of the way and grabbed Yō’s hands underwater.

“Oh Yō-san, that was… that was magical,” Setsuna said, her voice trembling a little. “I can barely even comprehend my own feelings right now. I feel? Overwhelmed? But calm? Excited, nervous, happy, and a little scared all at once. I’ll admit, I thought it would just be like swimming in a deep pool, but that…? Nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of slipping beneath the waves and entering a brand new world.”

“Now you understand, don’t you?” Yō asked, unable to keep the smile off her face. “There is nothing on earth quite like the open ocean. But as long as you show it respect, it’ll respect you in return. Let me know when you’re ready to go back down, because there’s so much I can show you.”

“Thank you so much. I’m glad that you’re the one with me, Yō-san. I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else.” Setsuna gave Yō’s hands a little squeeze, and Yō returned the gesture with a smile. Then Setsuna took a few deep breaths, replaced her snorkel, and nodded.

Together, they slipped beneath the waves once more.

They spent the next hour taking trips down underwater. True to her word, Yō did her best to show Setsuna all of the wonders she could. At one point, an incredibly pretty red fish swam right up to Setsuna, and despite the snorkel in her mouth and the muted sounds, Yō clearly heard Setsuna’s shocked and excited “?!”. That, of course, scared the fish away, and the disappointment on Setsuna’s face was both immeasurable and adorable.

Eventually, though, they had to call it quits. Even with an idol’s stamina, snorkeling was tiring, and they still had the rest of the day to hang out. Yō didn’t want to exhaust them so early in the day.

Once she pulled off her flippers, mask, and snorkel, Yō walked back to the pier to indulge in one of her favorite pastimes: the post-dive gaze at the horizon. As she looked out towards the open ocean, she felt Setsuna take a seat beside her. The two of them sat there in silence, lost in their own thoughts. As always, Yō contemplated the dive she’d just been on, then got to thinking about what her father might be up to. Eventually, though, her mind emptied, and she simply watched the undulations of the ocean as it stretched out towards seemingly infinity.

It was Setsuna who eventually broke the silence.

“Thank you again for this, Yō-san. Something about this felt incredibly special and intimate, and it makes me happy that I got to share it with you.” Setsuna leaned her head on Yō’s shoulder, and the warmth that had already started growing in Yō’s chest quickly spread to her whole body.

Yō leaned her head so that it rested on top of Setsuna’s. “Thanks for coming down to visit me. I know we’ve still got the rest of the day ahead of us, but even if you had to leave right now, I’d feel like we made the most of today.”

“I know what you mean. But that just means the rest of today will feel extra special because it’s like a bonus!” The optimism in Setsuna’s tone was infectious, and Yō couldn’t help but smile. 

“Maybe next time you come down, we can get you scuba certified so we can go even deeper.”

Setsuna pulled back to look at Yō, and her eyes shone so brightly with excitement that Yō had to smile just as bright. 

“Could we really? Oh that sounds so incredible! Yes, I’d love to do that with you!”

“It’s settled, then!” Yō said, mentally fist pumping. “Now you have to come visit Numazu again, Setsuna-chan!”

“I’d already planned on doing just that, Yō-san. But you’ve also got to come visit me in Odaiba again! We need to keep things even.”

“Of course!”

Eventually, they changed back into their normal clothes and left Awashima. The rest of the day was spent leisurely walking around Numazu, going wherever their hearts took them until Setsuna had to return home.

The entire time, Yō couldn’t stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we've gotten Yō's POV! This is the _third_ time now I've written Yō taking people diving, lol. I have no idea why I enjoy that plot so much, but I do. I think Yō uses the ocean as a test of character, in a way. The ocean is such an important part of her life that she wants to make sure the important _people_ in her life appreciate it just as much. I would say Setsuna definitely passed the test.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to see you next time!


End file.
